The Daimyo's son's view of Leonardo in which Leonardo goes from being a childish adult's enemy to a thoughtful child's hero.
This warrior seemed without fear. He should have been afraid of me. I have defeated many warriors from many worlds. He "was" uncertain about fighting me at in our duel at first. I heard him talking to his rat father about it. I heard the uncertainty in his voice. I heard the doubt that he could defeat me, but his voice and form did not shake as he spoke. His brothers and friends attempted to break the rules of the challenge in their own fear. He faced me without bowing to me or attacking the observe and judge of our combat their to declare me winner afterward.
He remained tense and discomforted throughout our battle, but he never ran from, froze before, or despaired in front of me. I was mightier than he. He did not deny it, but neither did he panic or plead at my feet.
Even when I threw him off a bridge higher than my father's palace, he returned to its top more sure of himself than ever. The he … defeated me … It was just my surprise that allowed it to happen! My father's interference, when I could have regained the upper hand and a victory through the ninja way of deceit kept me from gaining what was rightfully mine as the ultimate ninja! The match should have gone to me!
. . .
Later, at my father's command, I apologized to Leonardo for doing as an ultimate ninja should. He accepted my apology as if a doubt never flashed through his mind that I was sincere. Fearless or foolish of him? I thought the latter … So he deserved what he got.
He stayed behind, in my own house, when the others left for the arena. This gave my assassins a perfect opportunity ... Yet, he lived, thanks to that Ronin from another world also there for the competition coming upon them. What right had that rabbit to interfere?
I poisoned him, and Leonardo still came back to interfere in my plans. He lived, thanks again to that rabbit Ronin! He returned to the battle I was waging for control of my father's kingdom, as was my right, without a trace of fear of me!
He, his family, and allies defeated me together! Even as a rip in space and time pulled us into the sky, he held onto me refusing to let go in vengeance as if he feared no further action from me might endanger him. This made it even more an outrage when he only doomed me by allowing me to slip free from his grip instead of tossing me in as if I were a victim of weakness and not a threat to great strength!
. . .
I sent him to another world, far from his family members I scattered elsewhere! I sent him to his friend, Usagi, in the midst of a war in the Ronin's world. I sent them where they would face many foes, impossible odds, cruel and powerful enemies. Yet, they both made it back to my father's kingdom …
There, I taunted him by making him think he had the power to bring back his brothers and father from where I'd sent them to his side again. Then I set him and the rabbit Ronin against a never-ending army. He never fell to his knees and begged me for mercy. The rabbit Ronin encouraged him, but Leonard never came close to trembling before me as he should have as I brought him to his ultimate end!
What would it take to break him? I broke even my own father, the Daimyo of the Battle Nexus, but … my father loved me. I used his love for me against him as I tried to do with Leonardo and his family.
I saw Leonardo and his father both fighting for each other and his brothers, the rat's other sons after I thought I was on the cusp of winning. Maybe . . . they made each other strong even when not together? Maybe that was why I could never defeat them?
In the void, I had time to remember my whole life many times. I remembered my father making me strong when I started out as only a weak child before I became the Ultimate Ninja. But I had made him weak and I was the strong one now … I looked at him and saw no threat.
Draco insisted we destroy him, but why? Always before I knew my father and his friends would stop me from being all I wanted to be. I should have been disgusted by the old man's weakness, but I was not somehow. I pitied him. He was sad and weak. He'd made me strong when I was weak, now he was weak and needed me, in my strength, to save him.
Had I wasted my whole life up to this point? His friends saved him from me and Draco, not I. We were defeated and turning to dust before them all this strong family, and friend of Leonardo, and my father ...
I'm sorry father. I'm glad I got to say that to you aloud even as I disappear now. I wish I had another chance to do more for you.
I am sorry Leonardo … If I had not become dust first, I would have asked for your forgiveness too, in truth, this time, yours and your father's … and strong family and friend fearless one ...
. . .
I opened my eyes. I was in my father's throne room. He looked as he had in my dream, all old, and weak, and sad. I didn't want him to be so anymore. I wanted to cheer him and see him strong again. I was safe when he was strong at least until I grew up. I was a little afraid to though, after my dream. What a bad dream!
I ran to him and threw my arms around him. He embraced me back. He seemed immediately to grow strong again. He said he had a bad dream too ...
Somehow, the rat and turtles and rabbit from my dream were all still there, but they soon went away. I felt sorry to see the kame in blue go away for some reason. I felt like I needed to tell him something … I don't know exactly what it was, though.
. . .
They came back, the turtles at least, and I was nervous. I'm not sure why. My stomach felt all quivery, when I got close to them. I hid. But the one carrying the boe staff dressed in purple spied me. He pointed me out to Leonardo. The Fearless turtle saw me, but he didn't look angry with me.
I didn't remember him very well from before seeing him after I woke up from the dream I'd had in my father's throne room. I knew I "did" know him, though … somehow. I knew somehow that he was the fearless turtle warrior Leonardo.
I knew he was a friend of Usagi, who was also my father's friend, and one of the sons of Splinter, who is also my father's friend, and a brother to the last Battle Nexus Champion Michelangelo. I wanted to be the fearless turtle's friend. I told him so.
He seemed surprised, but didn't pull away from me, when I led him away to play together as we must have in the past. He made a grand playmate in hide and seek and follow the leader. I was wise to make him my friend!
Later I saw how fearless Leonardo was. He was outnumbered, but he fought for me. He was knocked down, but he chased after me. Even father was ready to yield to those who demanded it when he saw me hanging from one of their hands and they threatened me. And I was ashamed, but Leonardo took me from them and gave me back to my father!
It didn't matter that our foes were bigger. It didn't matter he'd already been knocked down before. None of that mattered, because he was fearless. I chose a very good friend! I am proud of him.
What do you think?
God Bless
ScribeofHeroes